Zeros 2 Heroes, in conjunction with Rainmaker Animation, announced a first for social networking when it revealed that fans of REBOOT have chosen who will reshape the storyline of the classic animated TV property that originally aired on ABC, YTV and Cartoon Network. In an unprecedented competition, REBOOT fans selected the plotline that they want to see developed into a web comic book property. This marks the first step in re-launching the property in advance of Rainmaker's upcoming trilogy of REBOOT theatrical feature films.
Selected from among five creative teams, the winning production, titled "Arrival," was the brainchild of Jeff Campbell (Writer), Shea Wageman (Producer), Shaun Martens (Artist), and Kelly Schmidt (Designer). With more than 15,000 individual ratings, hundreds of blog posts and online reviews, the fans voted for a storyline that revolves around the idea of a self-aware program called GNOSIS that uses the power of a Supercomputer to conquer and enslave the entire Net.
Earlier this year, Rainmaker established a strategic alliance with Zeros 2 Heroes to utilize the latest social media techniques to develop the storyline. Zeros 2 Heroes Media, a comics and genre entertainment social networking site, created an innovative online contest that directly engaged fans using a variety of web 2.0 applications.
Five undiscovered writers were selected to work with Rainmaker producers and artists to create five new concepts on the Zeros 2 Heroes website. Fans were accorded an opportunity to review the Rainmaker writers' pitches, meet the creative teams, vote for their favorite storylines and continue to interact with other fans of the property, honing ideas and aiding in the overall creative process. Based on this feedback, each team revised and uploaded several new versions of their work during the run of the contest.
REBOOT, produced by Mainframe Entertainment, was the first computer-animated TV series produced in the world. Originally seen on North American television in September of 1994 on YTV in Canada and on ABC Television in the U.S., the series ran four seasons (47 half-hour episodes) and was eventually seen in over 70 countries around the world. The show remains one of YTV's top-rated programs and garnered impressive U.S. audiences in a daily strip on Cartoon Network. The success of this series helped establish Mainframe Entertainment (now Rainmaker Animation) as one of the preeminent computer animation studios in the world.
